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  <title>BBC SPORT | Tennis | Djokovic toils as Federer cruises</title>
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    Djokovic toils as Federer cruises
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        World number three Novak Djokovic was tested to the limit before scraping into round four of the US Open after a four-hour battle with Marin Cilic.
      
    
      
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Cilic, 19, won the first set and saved two match points in the fourth before losing 6-7 (7-9) 7-5 6-4 7-6 (7-0).

      
    
      
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Former world number one Roger Federer cruised through, barely breaking sweat as he beat Radek Stepanek 6-3 6-3 6-2.

      
    
      
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Home favourite Andy Roddick also showed something like his best form as he saw off Andreas Seppi 6-2 7-5 7-6 (7-4).

      
    
    
  

  
    
      
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Cilic won a high-quality first set on a tie-break, bravely smacking a clean backhand winner down the line to snatch it.

      
    
      
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Both men then fluctuated between the sublime and the distinctly average, with Djokovic allowing an early break to slip in each of the next three sets.
	

	
		    
			    
      
    
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        It's good for me to not waste any energy
      
    
      
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        <br />
      
    
      
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        Roger Federer
      
    
      
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An inspired Cilic survived two match points before levelling at 5-5 in the fourth but he crumbled in the tie-break and Djokovic prevailed after three hours 52 minutes.

      
    
      
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The Serbian admitted: "I was really trying to stay in the match all the time.

      
    
      
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"It is always good in the early stages to have long matches, to hustle and stay on the court a long time. Now I'm motivated to go far.

      
    
      
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"I always manage to get through these tough matches. If you are mentally able to play the best tennis in the most important moments you are different than the others.

      
    
      
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"The good thing about that second set was that I stayed focused. He was stepping in and I was playing a bit too defensive.

      
    
      
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"He didn't have much to lose as a youngster. He won at New Haven (one week before the US Open) and he won a couple of matches here and he was on the centre court for the first time.

      
    
      
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"It was more the fight and focus I had in the end. 

      
    
      
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"I got myself together after those two match points. I was mentally strong. For me this match is extremely important mentally for me to continue going on."

      
    
      
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Djokovic will now meet Spain's 
      
    
      
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        Tommy Robredo
      
    
      
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         in round four.

      
    
      
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"He is another tough opponent. If I'm fresh enough mentally and physically I think I can get a positive outcome," Djokovic said.

      
    
      
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"I can expect a big fight. He's confident. The good thing about Grand Slams is you have a day off. You can recover. I'm sure I'll be recovered enough."

      
    
      
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Robredo earlier beat Australian Open finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 6-3.

      
    
      
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Roddick, who was the last man to win the US Open before four-times champion Federer, will next face Chilean 11th seed 
      
    
      
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        Fernando Gonzalez
      
    
      
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        , a 7-5 6-4 6-7 (3-7) 6-1 winner over Finland's Jarkko Nieminen.

      
    
      
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Fifth seed 
      
    
      
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        Nikolay Davydenko
      
    
      
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        , a possible quarter-final opponent for Federer, brushed aside fellow Russian Dmitry Tursunov 6-2 7-6 6-3 to set up a fourth-round match with 
      
    
      
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        Gilles Muller
      
    
      
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        .

      
    
      
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Muller, the qualifier from Luxembourg, continued his incredible run with a 6-7 (3-7) 3-6 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (8-6) 7-5 win over 18th seed Nicolas Almagro.

      
    
      
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The 25-year-old, who won the junior event at Flushing Meadows in 2001, had not won three successive Tour level matches since July 2005.

      
    
      
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The qualifier also came from two sets down to beat Tommy Haas in the previous round.

      
    
      
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Federer will face 
      
    
      
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        Igor Andreev
      
    
      
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         next after the Russian defeated Spain's Fernando Verdasco 6-2 6-4 6-4.

      
    
      
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Defending champion Federer is yet to drop a set in his first three matches and victory over Stepanek was his 30th straight win at Flushing Meadows.
	

	
		    
			    
      
    
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The 27-year-old is seeking to become the first player since Bill Tilden in 1924 to win five US titles in a row.

      
    
      
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His last defeat came in 2003 when he lost to David Nalbandian in the fourth round.

      
    
      
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He showed no sign of vulnerability on Sunday, with his serve firing particularly well as he avenged his defeat by Stepanek in Rome earlier this year.

      
    
      
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"It's good for me to not waste any energy," said Federer.

      
    
      
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"I'm playing well and moving on in the draw.

      
    
      
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"I think all in all I'm really happy. I've been serving well for the first three rounds, and that's always a good sign for the rest of the tournament.

      
    
      
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"I don't try to impress anybody in the early rounds. If it happens, that's great. I don't really care that much."

      
    
      
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Roddick, the eighth seed, believes he too is hitting top form after some mixed results in the lead-up to his home Grand Slam.

      
    
      
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The 26-year-old, who landed 73% of his first serves, was broken for the first time at 2-2 in the third set before hitting back to take it on a tie-break.

      
    
      
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"For the first time in a little while, I feel like I'm match tough," he said.

      
    
      
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"I've gotten in some tough moments here and played my way out of them pretty good, so that's a good sign.

      
    
      
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"You're always moving in one of two directions and I'm going in the right one right now."

      
    
      
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Story from BBC SPORT:<br>
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport2/hi/tennis/7590985.stm<br>
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Published: 2008/09/01 05:41:00 GMT<br>
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